The Art of War
by misaditas
Summary: What he wanted was to teach the gunship the art of war, so that it was capable of defending itself. Crais and Talyn btween Mind The Baby and The Ugly Truth


The planet was an unnamed gas giant, red and orange swirling in tempestuous circles. It was surrounded by ring of dust and captive asteroids. There were few other planets in this system, and none of them were inhabited.

Bialar Crais had Talyn in an orbit around the planet, just under the dust ring. They were deep in the Uncharted Territories, having fled both Peacekeepers and the crew of Moya. Since Talyn had chosen his captain, Crais had been getting used to the neural implant.

This had not been easy; every system was available to him, leaving much to learn in little time. It was, he reflected, not too dissimilar to being put in the pilot seat of a Prowler, dropped into space and being expected to learn to fly before something disastrous happened.

Now he had control over the basic systems, Crais had turned his attention to the hybrid's weaponry. Talyn was fearsomely armed, but in Crais' opinion it was not just a case of his being able to access that armament. What he wanted was to teach the gunship the art of war, so that it was capable of defending itself.

And so they were here, with Crais attempting to teach Talyn how to aim and destroy the larger asteroids drifting in the outer edge of the dust ring. Though 'attempting' was the operative word as getting Talyn's attention and holding it was a skill in and of itself.

"Concentrate," Crais said quietly as he felt the ship's attention drift again. The Leviathan's mind was child-like and easily distracted.

I am bored Talyn had only recently started putting words to the flurry of feelings it used to communicate. Why are we here?

"Because you must learn to defend yourself," Crais explained, trying to keep his tone even. Patience had never been his strong suit and Talyn seemed to be constantly testing its limits. "You must learn to aim. It is not enough just to fire on a vessel."

Why not? My cannon is powerful. It can take out many enemies.

A small smile found its way onto Crais' mouth. He was proud of this accomplishment, prouder that the ship was not some mindless creature but one that questioned, even if he sometimes found that incessant curiosity annoying.

"Indeed. However, destruction is not always the best course."

If we are threatened

"There are many responses to an attack," Crais interrupted. He paced command, hands behind his back as he fell easily into the role of tutor. "Sometimes discretion is the better part of valour. Just because you can destroy a ship does not mean you should."

I do not understand It was a whine, a childish complaint. I am a gunship. I was created to destroy.

Crais paused, thinking. Then he tilted his head. "Recall Scorpius," he said, bringing the incident to his own mind and sharing it with Talyn. "He broadcast communications specifically aimed at disturbing you and making you panic. In that instance it was better to stay concealed was it not?"

I suppose

"If you destroy a ship, then you are ignoring other possibilities. We are alone. What we do will dictate how we are perceived by others."

Do we care?

Crais smiled faintly. "Oddly enough, yes. We can gain a reputation for ruthlessness. A reputation easily achieved, but it would do us few favours. Better to gain one of compassion. If nothing else, it is wise to remember that we cannot make allies of dead people."

There was a silence. Crais could sense Talyn considering his words. He stood in the centre of command and waited.

What do you wish me to do? Talyn asked finally.

"Well done, Talyn," Crais replied. He was not ashamed to let the Leviathan know he was pleased. "Now. Concentrate on the largest asteroid."

The one with the fissure?

"Exactly. And that is exactly what I want you to concentrate on. That is the weak point. The first thing you must learn is how to weigh your opponent's strengths and weaknesses. It may not always be obvious as it may not be in their ship but may be something – or someone – else."

My mother is one of my weaknesses Talyn said suddenly.

"Yes. That insight does you credit. Such weaknesses are nothing to be ashamed of – we all have things we care about. Being aware of this weakness means it is unlikely that an opponent will be able to use it against you."

So the fissure?

"A low-level blast will be enough," Crais told him. "If you aim properly."

He sensed the ship activate the main cannon and target the rock. He knew he could over-ride Talyn's targeting system but he wanted the ship to learn for itself. It was possible that there may be a situation in the future that their lives might depend on Talyn defending them successfully.

A soft boom sounded as the cannon fired. The shot tore a fiery path through space and impacted on the asteroid. It burst into an explosion of rock. Crais gave a short laugh.

"Well done! Excellent, Talyn." He watched the fragments drift outwards and marvelled at the ship's fire-power. If that were a low-level blast, then the possibilities... For an instance Crais found himself imagining Scorpius' Command Carrier in a similar state. Then he caught himself and let the rising bitterness go on a deep sigh.

Revenge is one of your weaknesses Talyn pointed out and Crais swore the Leviathan sounded smug in his head.

Still, it had a point. "Yes," he said. "Acting in the heat of revenge... I regret much of what I have done in the past. My desire for revenge saw me flout High Command and resulted in the loss of my commission. It resulted in my fleeing the Peacekeepers and seeking sanctuary aboard the very ship I had pursued almost a cycle."

It resulted in you joining me

Crais smiled and reached up. "That is not something I regret," he said. "You are the one achievement I am proud of Talyn."

There was a sense of childish delight and a warmth that flooded his entire being, the same welcoming mental embrace he had been given on receiving the implant. It made him smile wider and he ran his gloved hand over the structure above him.

"We are alike, you and I," he said then, his voice low and soft. "Neither of us are what we were designed to be. Either of us did what was expected of us."

We are kin

Crais halted, stunned. He had been told once that a lesson always taught the tutor as well as the pupil, now he realised the truth of that. Allowing this concept to take root, he nodded slowly.

"Yes. Yes, we are."

The Peacekeepers had taken Tauvo from him, now he had Talyn. It balanced the scales somewhat. They would look for him and Talyn, Crais was certain of that. He looked around. This ship, this hybrid of Peacekeeper technology and Leviathan spacecraft. A living entity. Talyn.

They would retrieve him over his dead body, he thought defensively. "They will not take you," he said aloud.

They will not take either if us. I was born free

"As was I."

We shall live free

"Die free, rather than be captured."

Indeed

"But there is much living to be done first."

His answer came from the sound and sensation of the engines powering up. Crais felt it beneath his feet and through his entire body. He stared out of the viewscreen at the endless stars. Endless possibilities. He grinned suddenly.

"Talyn... Starburst."


End file.
